The Kalahari Desert is a large arid to semi-arid sandy area in southern Kgalagadi Africa extending 362,500 sq. miles, covering much of Botswana and parts of Namibia and South Africa, as semi-desert, with huge tracts of excellent grazing after good rains. The Kalahari Desert is the southern part of Africa, and the geography is a portion of desert and a plateau. The Kalahari supports some animals and plants because most of it is not true desert. There are small amounts of rainfall and the summer temperature is very high. It usually receives 3-8 inches of rain per year. The surrounding Kalahari Basin covers over 1.3 million sq. miles extending farther into Botswana, Namibia and South Africa, and encroaching into parts of Angola, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The only permanent river, the Okavango, flows into a delta in the northwest, forming marshes that are rich in wildlife. Ancient dry riverbeds—called omuramba—traverse the Central Northern reaches of the Kalahari and provide standing pools of wat er during the rainy season. Previously havens for wild animals from elephant to giraffe, and for predators such as lion and cheetah, the riverbeds are now mostly grazing spots, though leopard or cheetah can still be found.
Being a South African in Phoenix, it was easy to feel at home with the arid landscape, dry whether and dry riverbeds (washes as you call them). When, in 2005, I was approached by Julie Escalante (proprietor) and Rico Lujan (chef) to design and build a new themed restaurant, it was no miracle that an animal themed restaurant called the Kalahari Grill came to mind. Known as Oso (bear) or Papi to my friends and family I set about trying to find a location and that would provide us with a comfortable atmosphere while retaining the desert charm. We finally found it in Vistancia and that is where we settled.
The continuous slide show is made up of pictures of actual animals, birds and landscapes taken in the Kalahari Desert which have been provided to us by friends that would like you to see some of the beauty and reality that we as Africans have been so privileged to enjoy through our lifetime. We hope that your experience here, at the Kalahari Grill, is special and that we are able to give you just a small taste of a true African Safari.
Our menu does incorporate some traditional South African spices and flavors, and will be updated on a regular basis to incorporate more traditional meals.
The proprietors and partners hope that your visit to the Kalahari Grill is as special as the memories we will always have of building it for you.
Please ask your server about our upcoming events, which will include “A taste of Africa”, a set menu of African meals from which a portion of the revenues will be donated to animal conservation and wildlife preservation.
